Contender: Tim Engle

Sacramento native Tim Engle cultivated a passion for photography in his early teens and has since successfully turned that love into a full time career. Flowing seamlessly between portraits, fashion, avant-garde, and commercial photography, KVIE PBS selected him as one of California’s Master Photographers in 2011.

Story behind the shot: I shot this set of images in early 2014. I had worked with this model before on a similar concept. After the success of that shoot we wanted to take it a step further and go for a look that was more opulent. The goal was to see what could be created if we removed distracting elements, to focus just on the beauty of her face. This is an ongoing series.

Favorite moment during the shoot: In many of my shoots, there is that place when everyone’s efforts come into perfect sync. This image is a great example. The model’s pose with that makeup and the stylist’s use of the material all just worked perfectly. It’s hard to find one moment. Maybe when all the images were loaded onto the computer and I looked through them. I was excited by what we had created.

Biggest challenge: Finding the right way to wrap and layer the material.

How do you define your style? I love light! Everything I do is about light. As I have progressed, I think my light has gotten simpler. I’m most satisfied with keeping it simple and beautiful. This image follows that aesthetic. Simple beautiful light.